Dave Ball, one half of the innovative 1980s synth-pop band Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.
Together with vocalist Marc Almond, the pair achieved a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in the mid-80s, and their first record their initial full-length release is regarded as a classic of electronic music.
He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who achieved chart success with their 1994 single Swamp Thing.
Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his residence in London on Wednesday 22 October, only a short time after playing a featured performance with Soft Cell at the Rewind Festival in the Thames-side town.
Recent Health Challenges
During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, after a period of ill-health.
"I managed to damage myself quite a bit," he stated in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my back and fractured about five ribs and broke my arm."
Following contracting pneumonia and developing blood poisoning, he was placed in an induced coma and remained in the hospital for seven months.
However, he had been in "a great place mentally" over the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, titled Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.
"He was focused and so happy with the new album that we actually finished only a few days ago," stated the singer in a heartfelt message.
"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an positive time for him, and I find comfort from the fact that he listened to the finished record and felt that it was a masterpiece."
Heartfelt Messages
Almond referred to his bandmate as "a wonderfully brilliant musical genius", adding: "He was the heart and soul of Soft Cell and I'm very proud of our body of work.
"Thank you Dave for being an immense aspect of my life and for the songs you gave me. I wouldn't be where I am without you."
His Grid bandmate from The Grid, shared his condolences, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".
"Forming a partnership with someone is different from being in a group, the bond is very tight," he continued.
"That was the case with us. We went through so many remarkable, extraordinary, memorable experiences together. Many thanks, Dave."
Early Life
Born into a one-parent family in the city of Chester in the late 50s, Ball was put up for adoption when he was 18 months of age.
He was raised in the seaside town with adoptive parents his caregivers, who changed his given name from his birth name to David, alongside his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.
He met Almond at an art college in the late 70s, where they were both learning fine arts. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the same year, and promptly produced an EP.
Creative Collaboration
The pair were an distinctive combination: Ball was the reserved technician, bent over his keyboard, while Almond was a charismatic showman, all sparkle and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.
Ball had developed a interest with synthesizers after viewing the band Kraftwerk perform on BBC program Tomorrow's World, and began to combine dark electronica to the soaring melodies Almond was composing.
Their signature song became the United Kingdom's second most popular song of the early 80s, shifting millions of units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and electronic acts, it helped paved the way for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.
The song was also featured on their first album, their initial LP, which spawned two additional top five hits: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which reached at number two in the following year.
Professional Journey
Success had its benefits. "I loved being able to purchase my first home, having financial security and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball not long ago told with a music magazine.
But it also caused challenges. "Newfound wealth allowed we could afford substances to relieve the boredom" of media interviews and television shows, Ball said.
"I know that's a cliché, but it's a cliché for a valid cause, because it applies for so many musicians."
During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also drifting apart, but they managed to create a second classic album - the unconventional, edgy and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.
They put out another album, 1984's This Last Night In Sodom, before dissolving the group to focus on other projects.
Almond went on to have a successful solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who mixed dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.
Reunions and Final Projects
Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the charting album Cruelty Without Beauty.
After a further break, they returned in 2018, issuing the new tracks Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before staging what was intended to be a farewell show at the large venue on 30 September, that year.
However, they stayed active, recording their fifth album, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic restrictions.
Ball recently characterized the duo's upcoming release as a tribute to the NYC nightlife they visited while recording their initial records.
He added that his period in medical care had influenced the group's music.
"I had strange recollections when I was coming and going of hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.
"Our latest tracks are a electronic representation of the sounds in my mind from those days.
"Simultaneously, it's about the times we had in the 80s."
The final mixes were completed only a short time before Ball passed away. It is scheduled for launch in Spring 2026.
